Murder on the Green
Murder on the Green by H.V. Coombs Avon Books UK Avon Humor , Mystery & Thrillers Pub Date 25 Jun 2018
Review
I was attracted to Murder on the Green by the tag line - Midsomer Murders meets The Great British Bake Off. It wasn’t that accurate. It’s a little more of a Pie in the Sky. Ben Hunter has little time for anything other than cooking and managing at his restaurant, The Old Forge Cafe. So it’s a bit of a surprise when celebrity chef Justin McLeish and his wife show up for dinner with a business proposition. Justin McLeish is catering the local opera festival, and someone is blackmailing him. Ben Hunter’s notoriety as an amateur detective and his past assault charge have convinced McLeish’s manager that Ben is the perfect man to investigate. Ben will work with Justin’s staff, and Justin will provide a chef to cover at Ben’s restaurant as well as payment for finding the blackmailer. Finding the blackmailer seems straightforward enough - until the suspect turns up dead and a new blackmail request arrives. As the bodies drop and the situation becomes more complicated, Ben realizes there is more going on than simple blackmail.
It’s easy to like Ben. He’s “human” far from perfect, but hard working and always trying to improve himself - and he has a sense of humor about it. He has friends across the spectrum, and that comes in handy - particularly when he gets in over his head. H V Coombs provides an interesting insight into the stressful, fast paced world of professional cooking and the varied egos and personalities. The novel is enjoyable as much for that as the mystery.
4 / 5
I received a copy of Murder on the Green from the publisher and NetGalley.com in exchange for an honest review.
— Crittermom
Description
Midsomer Murders meets The Great British Bake Off in this foodie delight with murder at its heart. Hampden Green has been a quiet for months, allowing Ben Hunter to concentrate on running The Old Forge Café. That is until celebrity chef Justin McCleish announces he is opening a pop-up restaurant at the local opera festival and wants Ben to help out. Ben couldn’t prouder or more flattered, until he discovers he hasn’t been hired for his cooking abilities… Justin is being blackmailed and he needs help to crack the case. That is, until extortion turns deadly! Now Ben must do whatever it takes to find the killer before they strike again…
